In today’s world, working remotely is no longer an option but a means for many organisations to keep operating. The pandemic made it necessary for entrepreneurs to think outside the box to stay in the competition.

Virtual workers already played a huge part in several business models but the health crisis broadened their application to other industries too. As they become more normalized, they often became the first choice for filling many positions.

If you are currently planning to hire a virtual assistant, you likely have a number of questions. One of them may be, “how much does a virtual assistant cost?”. To answer that, you have to take into account several factors that make up the real costs plus the potential savings.

Know virtual assistant pricing

When you look up VA prices on Google to know the average cost, you may be surprised to learn that the amount varies wildly. Outsourcing to a country with low labour costs means rates below the minimum wage in the US, for instance.

At the same time, an assistant who is highly knowledgeable and experienced might demand up to three figures per hour, regardless of their location. Virtual assistant pricing has a wide range, to say the least.

You may wonder where to fall on that spectrum and how much to offer to candidates to do the kind of work you need.

Payment structures

These are the basis on which VAs charge their potential clients. As each assistant has a different pricing option, you have to agree on something you are both comfortable with.

Here is a quick look at some of the standard virtual assistant packages you may choose from:

By the hour

They compute the gross income they need to make to compensate for expenses like insurance, taxes, and more. Then, they calculate the average number of hours they expect to work in a month to come up with their hourly rate.

By the duration

VAs, especially those working freelance, consider this to be the best way to construct a consistent schedule. With retainer pricing, clients may commit to 40 hours per month which are prepaid. The assistant calculates the amount as they would the hourly but it resembles more of a flat rate.

By the project

Flat fees are the norm for one-time projects. However, it’s also an option when you want to test someone out without any commitment down the line. Another advantage is that you may arrange for additional help this way and keep only the VA you like.

Understand factors affecting cost

When you’re planning to hire a VA from the US, expect to pay around 10 to 20 dollars per hour for them. Compute that for a full-time position and you’ll see that they cost nearly the same as an office-based worker.

The upside is that you don’t have to pay them a full-time income to accomplish tasks. By hiring them for 20 hours a week instead of 40, you get to save 50% and you may find that 20 hours is enough to finish your entire to-do list.

When you decide to outsource through an agency, say Remote Workmate, you may enjoy rates below 10 dollars. A general virtual assistant in the Philippines might ask for only 6 USD per hour so you save 4 dollars and enjoy the same quality of work.

Even with those numbers in mind, it doesn’t hurt to know what factors influence virtual assistant cost, such as:

General skills

Let’s say you need help with managing your time. In that case, outsourcing to someone with organisational skills is key, even if you don’t have a specific task in mind. Expect to pay premium to hire someone to meet these requirements but it doesn’t mean going over the budget either.

Specific skills

It’s a given that a more specific skill-set demands a higher rate. Following the rule of supply and demand, if you’re looking for a VA specialising in search engine optimisation but there aren’t many available, expect costs to shoot up.

Hire based on skills not price

Take a look at the average for virtual assistant pricing across the entire industry. Note that this includes the cost for VAs with less experience and fewer skills, even newbies. This means that there are assistants who fall in the median but might be unable to meet your needs.

For this reason, think about the specific skills you need and gauge the average cost for virtual assistant packages in that area. Here are some examples of specialised skills:

• Lead generation
• Graphic design
• Copywriting
• Social media marketing
• Search engine optimisation

Throughout all this, remember to set realistic expectations for your VA. They might be capable of taking phone calls and other kinds of tasks but you mustn’t expect them to do everything. Understand that you’re paying them for a specific job and they’re not an employee.

For reasonable virtual assistant pricing

With everything you’ve learned so far, you might think it’s fine to pay premium for a VA. You won’t have to worry about additional operation expenses for training, you know that your arrangement is flexible, and you’re assured of the quality of their work.

The truth is that you don’t have to force yourself to pay sky-high rates for a good virtual assistant though. The secret lies in outsourcing to a professional in the Philippines. We at Remote Workmate are able to help you with that.

As an offshore staffing agency, we specialise in connecting clients like you to skilled and experienced online experts from the Philippines. We arrange virtual assistant pricing to suit your needs while staying within your budget.